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Melissa Click, now a former assistant professor with the University of Missouri Department of Communication, tried to grab a recording device from student reporter Mark Schierbecker. She then called for “muscle” to remove him from filming student protesters in November ... more >

The University of Missouri student who filmed assistant professor Melissa Click trying to grab a camera out of his hands filed a police complaint Wednesday alleging simple assault.

Mark Schierbecker said he is waiting to hear back from police on whether they will charge Melissa Click, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Communication, USA Today reported.

A police department spokesman, Major Brian Weimar, said they are looking into the incident.

A video uploaded to YouTube by Mr. Schierbecker showed Ms. Click trying to stop him from filming a Concerned Student 1950 encampment on the public campus, as students formed a human wall trying to protect the protesters from reporters. Ms. Click is seen trying to grab Mr. Schierbecker’s recording device before she asks students for “some muscle” to remove him from the area.

Ms. Click has since apologized for the incident and resigned from her courtesy appointment with the Missouri School of Journalism, which is a separate entity from the Department of Communication, where she is still employed.

“Yesterday was an historic day at MU — full of emotion and confusion,” Ms. Click said in a statement Tuesday. “I have reviewed and reflected upon the video of me that is circulating, and have written this statement to offer both apology and context for my actions. I have reached out to the journalists involved to offer my sincere apologies and to express regret over my actions. I regret the language and strategies I used, and sincerely apologize to the MU campus community, and journalists at large, for my behavior, and also for the way my actions have shifted attention away from the students’ campaign for justice.

“From this experience I have learned about humanity and humility. When I apologized to one of the reporters in a phone call this afternoon, he accepted my apology. I believe he is doing a difficult job, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with him. His dignity also speaks well to the Journalism program at MU. Again, I wish to express my sincere apology for my actions on Carnahan Quad yesterday.”

Mr. Schierbecker said he met with Ms. Click at her office on Tuesday, but found her apology to be disingenuous.

“I am just left with the feeling that she doesn’t care,” he told USA Today.

The Mizzou campus has been rocked by protests over administrators’ handling of racially-charged incidents, leading to the resignations of University president Tim Wolfe and chancellor R. Bowen Loftin this week.

Administrators announced on Wednesday that they had put another staff member seen in Mr. Schierbecker’s video, Greek Life director Janna Basler, on administrative leave while they investigate her actions at the protest, where she was filmed having physical contact with reporter Tim Tai.